Questions to ask a memory care community
By Homeward Senior Placement · Local senior placement advisors in Southeast Michigan · Updated October 14, 2026
Memory care tours are emotional. A prepared list keeps you from leaving with a brochure and no answers. These questions work in Novi, Royal Oak, Ann Arbor, Sterling Heights, and every other market we serve.
Staffing and training
How many residents per caregiver on days, evenings, and nights? What dementia-specific training do they require, and how often is it refreshed? Is a nurse in the building overnight? What happens if your loved one is up and walking at 2 a.m.?
If the answers are vague, that is an answer. Strong programs can tell you how they handle exit-seeking, shadowing, and refusal of care without using only the word “family-like.”
Safety and the day itself
How is the neighborhood secured? How do they handle outdoor access? What does a typical day look like for someone in early versus middle-stage dementia? Can you see an activity in progress, not a calendar on a wall?
Ask about hospital transfers, falls, and whether the community will keep a resident who becomes more mobile-impaired or more distressed. A move-in is not helpful if a move-out is likely in four months.
Cost and the care agreement
What is included at this care level, and what increases the fee? Is there a community fee at move-in? How is notice handled if they determine they can no longer meet needs? Get it in writing.
We attend tours with families when that helps, and we compare answers across communities so you are not relying on whoever was more charming that morning.